2016 Alumna of the Year
photo by Adrienne Battistella, 2016
Cabrini High School (CHS) selected Michelle Bertram Douglas ’85 as the school’s 2016 Alumna of the Year.
Cabrini’s President, Ardley Hanemann, Jr., announced Douglas’ selection at the National Honor Society Induction ceremony. Alumna of the year is an honor given annually to an alumna who has distinguished herself through achievements benefitting Cabrini and the community at large in her personal and professional life.
“It means so much to be honored by my school, a place near and dear to my heart,” stated Douglas. “Cabrini is more than an education of the mind; it is an education of the heart.” Douglas’ life mirrors that of Mother Cabrini’s. She is a lifelong educator with a Master’s Degree in Elementary Curriculum and Instruction and certified in Administration who presently serves as the CEO and Principal of Edward Hynes Charter School.
A resident of Lakeview, Michelle and her husband, Chuck, were instrumental in the rebuilding of the area after the devastation of Katrina in 2005. In addition to rebuilding her own home, Douglas worked with teachers, administrators, students, and volunteers to reestablish Hynes in temporary buildings, the only public school in Lakeview.
In 2006, the Orleans Parish School Board named Douglas Principal/CEO of Hynes Charter School Corporation. While operating the temporary campus, Douglas worked diligently to restore the school’s permanent campus. In January of 2012, Hynes Charter School re-opened its new campus at the old location on Harrison Avenue, a new campus that is both modern and safe, providing an exceedingly high level of education for its students.
Douglas’ professional and personal achievements are many. In 2013, she was named Principal of the Year in Orleans Parish. She has also earned the honor of being named as one of University of New Orleans’s Outstanding Alumni. Douglas serves on Cabrini High School’s Board of Trustees.
Douglas embodies Cabrini’s core principles of Excellence, Respect and Service. She is a lifelong learner who has sought to impart this gift in so many children. Douglas is well known in the city for her love of learning, outstanding teaching skills, and leadership. She is a role model as a woman of strong faith and great
character. She is an ideal representative of a Cabrini education – one of mind and heart.